BAMANEWSBOT
Staff
Alabama shouldnāt be No. 1 in anyoneās rankings, even though thatās where the Crimson Tide have been nearly nonstop since FloridaāsUrban Meyer and Tim Tebow were dethroned in the 2009 SEC title game.
This is no longer the Crimson Tide that won back-to-back national titles. The quarterback competition is barely in its infancy and the defense is in the middle of finding seven new starters. Thatās roughly the same number as last year, when Alabama was the obvious preseason choice for top-notch status when it was looking for the three-peat and had a two-year starter at quarterback.
Obviously, things didnāt go as well as hoped.
Saban says the players didnāt want to work hard.
The team wasnāt focused.
It felt entitled.
āI would say we kind of lost focus on what the mission was last season,ā senior nose tackle Brandon Ivory said.
āFelt it then. I saw it at the end."
.....
Three things to keep in mind, though, about the preseason rankings that will continue to come out over the summer:
1) The last two times Alabama lost two straight games to end the season were 2008 and 2010. In both cases the Crimson Tide responded by winning the national championship.
2) The last two times Alabama was second in the preseason Associated Press poll, where it has a good chance to be again, it went on to take home the crystal football.
3) In addition to Schlabachās list, the Worldwide Leader also has on its website the Fremeau Efficiency Index (FEI) projections, which uses numerous statistical indicators to project which teams may take a step forward or backward.
Christopher WalshāContinue reading...
This is no longer the Crimson Tide that won back-to-back national titles. The quarterback competition is barely in its infancy and the defense is in the middle of finding seven new starters. Thatās roughly the same number as last year, when Alabama was the obvious preseason choice for top-notch status when it was looking for the three-peat and had a two-year starter at quarterback.
Obviously, things didnāt go as well as hoped.
Saban says the players didnāt want to work hard.
The team wasnāt focused.
It felt entitled.
āI would say we kind of lost focus on what the mission was last season,ā senior nose tackle Brandon Ivory said.
āFelt it then. I saw it at the end."
.....
Three things to keep in mind, though, about the preseason rankings that will continue to come out over the summer:
1) The last two times Alabama lost two straight games to end the season were 2008 and 2010. In both cases the Crimson Tide responded by winning the national championship.
2) The last two times Alabama was second in the preseason Associated Press poll, where it has a good chance to be again, it went on to take home the crystal football.
3) In addition to Schlabachās list, the Worldwide Leader also has on its website the Fremeau Efficiency Index (FEI) projections, which uses numerous statistical indicators to project which teams may take a step forward or backward.
Christopher WalshāContinue reading...
